Exams in January have always felt massively unfair to me. It’s Christmas, you’re back at home and catching up with all of your family and friends, there are Gavin and Stacey reruns on the tv and leftover sandwiches calling your name. It’s also the first proper break many people have had since the beginning of the academic year. The last thing you’ve got the time or energy for is revision. Hopefully with these tips it’ll make revising over the festive season that little bit easier.
Lily Cannon
Creating a timetable for each day is one of the easiest ways to keep yourself on track and to make the most out of your time. It also means that if you know you’ve got a family event or plans with friends you can block that out on the timetable. This is particularly useful if you have lots of different modules to revise for, as you can prioritise your time on those subjects that you find more difficult. ‘Get Revising’ have a great tool on the website that creates revision timetables for you. It means that you are able to prioritise certain modules over others, and also allows you to put in when your exam dates are, all of which the timetable will reflect when it is finished. https://getrevising.co.uk/planner
Whether you prefer revising at home in your room or spending the day at the library, make sure you prepare for your day of revision. Give yourself scheduled breaks throughout the day and make sure you have enough time off for lunch. While it may feel like you are doing the right thing by working away for hours without having proper breaks, it has actually been proven that it is much more effective to take regular breaks and let your brain rest. If you know that you get easily distracted while you’re revising, make sure that you’re in a quiet space perhaps away from your friends. Turn off your phone and leave it in your bag and log out of all social media sites on your laptop if you’re using it.
Everybody is different but I found it essential to give myself the occasional day, afternoon or morning off during revision period so that I could do something enjoyable with friends. Doing this always felt like pressing the reset button for me and I found I’d come back to my revision feeling refreshed and with a clearer mind.
I cannot stress this one enough. Not only is it VITAL to make sure you’re getting enough sleep, but it must also be of a good quality. Sleep sprays, essential oils, reading instead of looking at a screen before bed, meditating, exercise; these are all things that can help make sure that you’re getting the best sleep possible and that you wake up feeling refreshed and ready for the day ahead.
Make sure that you’re eating well. It’s tempting to fall into the trap of buying yourself a meal deal or oven pizza every day for ease, but taking the time to make yourself a hot meal in the evening is a great way to unwind and make sure that your body (and brain) are getting the nutrients they need. If you’re worried about time, make yourself big portions for dinner so that you can take the leftovers for lunch the next day and you don’t have to worry about making a separate meal. Try switching energy drinks and coffee for something like green tea which still contain caffeine but contain a lot less sugar and are generally much better for you.
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